As opposition forces continue to clash with supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, a group of activists and political parties has come together calling for an end to the civil and political strife and renewed elections.

As opposition forces continue to clash with supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, a group of activists and political parties has come together calling for an end to the civil and political strife and renewed elections.

The movement is headed by former Muslim Brotherhood leader Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh and encapsulates various local political affiliations, including Strong Egypt Party, A Nation Without Torture and Brotherhood Are Liars, among other activists and youth groups. The protest group is known as ‘Third Square,’ after its supporters occupied Sphinx Square in Cairo, bringing a third major public space into the realm of civil disobedience after Tahrir Square and Rabia al-Adawiya Square.

Not Morsi, nor army – third stance from ‘Third Square’

“The movement wants to bring the country out of the political polarization scene which has never been witnessed before by Egypt and which is leading to civil strife,” says Ahmad Imam, a spokesman for Third Square.

Under the slogan “3 NOs” – no to Mubarak, no to Morsi and no to military rule – Third Square hopes to fight increasing polarizazion in the country, says Imam.

Third Square had initially been branded as an affiliate of the Muslim Brotherhood, but Imam vehemently rejects this accusation. “This initiative will not take sides regardless of the attempts by some forces to tarnish our reputation,” Third Square’s spokesman said in a recent statement.

New movement rejects violence

“Third Square rejects and condemns the firing of live bullets at the demonstrators.  Additionally, it stresses that it will continue to implement activities to promote the third option away from the two that are currently present in the street,” reads the press statement from the group.

The statement goes on to claim that both the military and the Muslim Brotherhood have lost their legitimacy through their use of violence.

“Violent events that have taken place in Muhammad Mahmoud Street, in the al-Abbasa Square, at the Council of Ministers premises and in other historic sites, are all witness to the failure of the military council and the Muslim Brotherhood, who came to power through the ballot boxes but monopolized power,” claims Third Square, claiming that the recent political outcome is not dissimilar to the former Mubarak regime.

 Since the overthrow of Morsi on the 30th of June and until today, this initiative organized 4 activities in the Third Square rejecting Mubarak, the military and the Brotherhood rule and demanding the withdrawal of the Egyptian armed forces from the political scene and the holding of presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible.

Local singer talking politics

Samia Jaheen, a Third Square activist and a singer with the Egyptian band Eskenderella, says the new political movement is just defending the freedoms its predecessors fought for. “We are demanding the implementation of the January 25 revolution demands,” Jaheen told Correspondents.   

Jaheen stressed that there is no founder of this initiative, pointing out that the Third Square movement is similar to the January 25 Revolution, which also did not have a leader.  “Our only goal is retribution for each and everyone who betrayed the 25 January revolution.  This is our slogan and our demand is that we want justice to be achieved.” 

The new protest umbrella group had been accused of having links to Salafists, but Jaheen insists Third Square remains non-politically aligned. “There is a misunderstanding which has led some people to think that the leader of Third Square is Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, a Salafist. This misunderstanding is because the supporters of Abu Ismail also gave their campaign the name of the “Third Square,” says Jaheen, asserting her movement’s independence.

But while Third Square may have noble intentions, critics have seized on the nascent movement’s stance. “Describing June 30 as a coup is a lie and an act of deceit because it was the Egyptian people who imposed their will when millions of people went to the streets, as never before.  The armed forces responded to the assembly of millions of Egyptians,” says Hasan Shahin, a member of the Tamarod Campaign, a loosely affiliated opposition to Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhodd.

Others highlighted what they perceive as Third Square’s misapprehensions about recent political events. “It is not true to say that there is military rule today,” says Imad Jad, deputy president of the Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, an Egyptian think tank.

“June 30 not a coup”

“The armed forces responded to the people’s rallies that came out on June 30, and handed over the power to a full civilian leadership. Today Egypt is ruled by the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court and a civil government that does not belong to any of the former three ruling systems.” Adds Jad.

Jad questions if Third Square has relevance or can broaden support among ordinary Egyptians: “Most of the Egyptian people who took to the streets on the 30 of June to overthrow the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood have declared their approval of the road map announced by the armed forces in the presence of the different political forces and the Al-Azhar figures as well as the Egyptian church.”